


tell me which one is worse, living or dying first?

by Drhair76



Series: the night is dark but the moon is bright [2]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Good Brother Diego Hargreeves, Nightmares, No Slash, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Sharing a Bed, Sibling Bonding, Sleepy Cuddles, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 05:19:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18004562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drhair76/pseuds/Drhair76
Summary: Diego quickly pulled out a knife, his lips curling in an angry sneer. He was ready to tear apart whoever was making his brother scream like that, and if it was Cha-Cha, he wouldn't even need a knife to do it.or, the one where Five is not okay, Diego is angry and Vanya and Klaus are good siblings.





	tell me which one is worse, living or dying first?

It was a horrible sound. 

The piercing scream echoed through their large house, successfully jolting Diego from his slumber. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and shot out of bed. 

He wasn't a light sleeper, but the scream seemed to wake every cell in his body  and without hesitation he sprinted down the hall to his youngest (oldest?) brother's room.

 He almost ran into Klaus, who was sprinting the same way. 

He paused at the doorway, throwing out a hand to stop Klaus from charging in. Thankfully, he understood what Diego wanted and stayed behind him. 

Diego quickly pulled out a knife, his lips curling in an angry sneer. He was ready to tear apart whoever was making his brother scream like that, and if it was Cha-Cha, he wouldn't even need a knife to do it. He placed a hand on Klaus' chest, pointed at the door and Klaus nodded once. 

He slammed open the door, his knife ready, but the only person in the room was Five.

He was thrashing around on his bed with his legs tangled up in his blanket. Soft whimpers and moans escaped from his lips every so often, his chest heaved and his face was screwed up in such discomfort that it made Diego's face hurt. 

"He's-He's having a nightmare." Klaus said, his brow furrowed in concern. He stepped forward and reached a hand out but paused before touching Five.  

"No?" Klaus asked softly, turning and looking to the side at someone who wasn't there. "We shouldn't touch him." He said firmly, turning back to Diego. 

"Is that what Ben says?" Diego asked and Klaus nodded. 

Luther was still a little skeptical of the idea that Klaus could communicate with Ben, but Diego thought that was stupid. 

Klaus' powers had to do with seeing and communicating with the dead, why  _wouldn't_  be be able to talk to Ben's ghost. 

Everyone had begun to embrace the idea of Ben floating among them. Allison and Vanya had begun to talk to Ben through Klaus, sometimes Diego caught Five talking to Ben under his breath despite the fact that he couldn't hear any responses. 

"Well, we have to wake him." Diego said regretfully. "Sorry Ben." 

Diego manuvered to avoid Five's thrashing limbs and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Five gasped and shot up and away from Diego, pressing his back against the wall.

 "Hey, hey Five." Diego took a step back. "It's just me. You're alright man. It's okay." 

Five's eyes were dark and scared. He looked so much like a frightened and cornered animal that it made Diego's stomach go cold. 

This was his  _little brother_. 

He didn't care how old Five's consciousness was or how long he'd been alive for, whether it was fifty-eight years or thirteen he'd always be his little brother. 

Diego wanted to go back in time and punch little number Five in the face. How dare he walk out and not come back? How dare he leave his family to wonder and worry about him? 

Diego watched Vanya set out sandwiches and flip on the lights night after night, so Five would know they missed him. 

He watched Ben read and reread the books that Five recommended until they were falling apart from use. 

He saw Klaus attempt to reach Five everyday just to make sure he wasn't dead, because if he was dead, there was no hope of him coming back.

He heard Allison whisper 'I heard a rumor' to herself over a million times, trying, without success, to bend reality to get her brother back so she could see him one last time. 

 He watched Luther shut himself away, taking Five's leave like a personal flaw, training harder as to not lose anyone else. 

Diego wanted to go back in time, punch Five in the face and pull him into a hug. Beg and plead for him not to leave. Beg him to,  _for once_ , put his ego aside and listen to his father. 

Diego wanted to save Five from himself, but all he could do was watch helplessly as he fell apart in front of him. 

Five was trembling and somehow his breathing became faster. Diego didn't even know that was possible. But he did know that if Five kept breathing like that, he'd send himself into a panic attack. 

"Take a deep breath Five." He said softly, pushing all his inner anger at himself down to deal with later. "You're safe here." 

Five took a one deep shuddering breath, then another, then another. After what seemed like an eternity he slowly peeled himself away from the wall. 

Klaus took a step forward and placed a gentle hand on Five's shaking shoulder. To Diego's surprise, instead of pulling away for slapping his hand, Five leaned heavily into the touch. 

"D-don't go." He pleaded. His voice was filled with such desperation that Diego wondered how he could've possibly thought Five hated them. "I can't-I can't lose yo-" 

"I'm not going anywhere." Klaus promised. He was more serious than Diego's ever heard him. "I'm gonna stay as long as you need me to." 

"Is he okay?"

 Diego turned to see Vanya, Allison and Luther in the doorway. They were watching Five and Klaus with worried eyes. Diego shook his head and Vanya made a soft oh sound when Klaus curled around Five to comfort him. 

Five was always the one she went to whenever her father's words were too sharp. 

He was never the best at comfort, but he was smart and turned to Ben, who was the best at comfort. Ben would create a small blanket fort on his floor for the three of them to sleep in. He'd drag Five into it and Vanya would rest her head in Ben's lap while Five read to them from his latest book. 

He made a big fuss about it, but always read until they were both asleep and in the morning, she was covered with a blanket that wasn't there before. 

She remembered that now as she took a small halting step forward but Five's shudder made her grow sure of herself and she took another. She crawled onto the bed with her brothers and wrapped her hand around Five's wrist. 

"I'm here Five." She whispered. "For whatever you need." 

Five twisted so he was holding Vanya's hand in his own, his fingers unconsciously settling onto her pulse.

 "Ben's here too." Klaus offered quietly and Luther moved to say something but Diego shot him a look. 

"Th-thank you Ben." Five sighed, pressing his forehead into Klaus' shoulder, allowing himself to be comforted for the first time in a long time. 

Allison laid a blanket over the three of them with a soft smile. 

"Sweet dreams Five." 

**Author's Note:**

> the ending of this is kinda blah but I really wanted to write a nightmare fic so ...


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